The Balsillie School community is pleased to share that a fourth program will join the School this September. The Master of Development Practice (MDP) program, offered through the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) at the University of Waterloo, is an innovative professional program designed to launch careers in global development. The MDP is a 12-month course-based program with eight courses completed over two semesters, followed by a placement course completed in the third semester.
“We are thrilled to have the MDP program hosted by the Balsillie School,” said Jeff Wilson, Director, SEED. “As a program that builds professional skills in global sustainable development, the MDP will be a great fit within the BSIA, given the School’s reputation for innovative global public policy research and education.”
The program will welcome 14 students in September, who will take their core courses at the BSIA, and who will have desk space alongside the other BSIA MA students. Although the program will continue to be administered by SEED, the MDP program will be integrated into the activities of the BSIA, opening up opportunities for students to participate in the Graduate Fellowship Program, the lunchtime lecture series, and the Technology Governance Initiative at the BSIA.
“Development is a global phenomenon,” said Ann Fitz-Gerald, Director of the BSIA. “The MDP program complements our other Masters programs nicely, and fits well with the mission of the BSIA. We are looking forward to welcoming the cohort of MDP students to our hallways this September.”
Hosting the MDP program at the BSIA will allow all BSIA students enhanced access to sustainable development courses, and it will provide additional opportunities for recruiting graduate students into BSIA faculty research projects and into the Global Governance PhD program. The collaboration will also provide a platform for broader collaborations on sustainable development-themed projects between BSIA and SEED faculty.